Mop material, a mop pad, a mop, and a method of manufacturing mop material

ABSTRACT

Mop material comprises a first material and a reinforcement material, wherein substantially all of an operative part of the first material is covered by the reinforcement material and the reinforcement material includes a plurality of strands, such that the reinforcement material at least partially protects the first material from wear through contact with a surface to be cleaned and/or dried.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application, filed under 35 USC 371, is a United States NationalStage Application of International Application No. PCT/GB2013/051939,filed Jul. 19, 2013, which claims priority to UK Application No. GB1213363.3, filed on Jul. 26, 2012, the disclosures of which areincorporated herein by reference.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Embodiments of the present invention relate to mop material includingfirst material which is covered by reinforcement material. Embodimentsof the invention include a mop pad including mop material, a mopincluding such a mop pad, and a method of manufacturing the mopmaterial.

Mop material such as quilted mop material is commonly used in modernflat mops. A flat mop is a mop in which a main surface of the mopmaterial is placed against the surface to be cleaned and substantiallyall of the mop material is supported by the mop head, such that the mopmaterial is held flat against the surface to be cleaned.

Over repeated cycles of use, the mop material wears. A large portion ofthis wear occurs through contact of the mop material with the surfacebeing cleaned. However, the mop material must be positioned in closecontact with the surface being cleaned to allow the mop material toclean the surface.

Some solutions have been suggested for reinforcing mop material. Onesuch example is U.S. Pat. No. 101,777 which discloses the covering ofmop material of mop material with buckskin, leather, a light net-work,or canvas. Prior arrangements in which the mop material is entirelycovered by a reinforcement material can, however, be detrimental to theproperties of the mop material. In addition, the use of net-work cancreate an uneven surface for the mop material which prevents the mopmaterial from working effectively (and may be overly abrasive in someapplications).

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention seeks to ameliorate one or more problemsassociated with the prior art.

Accordingly, we provide mop material comprising: an absorbent pad havingone or more layers including a first material; and a reinforcementmaterial, wherein substantially all of an operative part of the firstmaterial is covered by the reinforcement material and the reinforcementmaterial includes a plurality of strands, such that the reinforcementmaterial at least partially protects the first material from wearthrough contact with a surface to be cleaned and/or dried.

The plurality of strands may be tethered to the first material at aplurality of locations which are spaced apart from each other.

Respective portions of a first and a second of the plurality of strandsbetween two tethered locations may be configured to be moveable withrespect to each other and with respect to the first material.

The plurality of strands may be arranged to extend in a direction whichis perpendicular to the usual direction of travel of the mop materialover a surface being cleaned and/or dried using the mop material.

The plurality of strands may extend along a length of the firstmaterial.

The plurality of strands may comprise one or more bundles of strands.

The plurality of strands may be stitched to the first material.

The first material or absorbent pad may comprise a quilted material.

The first material or absorbent pad may comprise a non-woven absorbentpadding material.

The reinforcement material may be substantially non-absorbent.

The reinforcement material may comprise strands of a polyester-viscosemixture.

The reinforcement material may not cover a side of the first materialwhich opposes the operative part of the first material.

Another aspect of the present invention provides a mop pad formed frommop material and including one or more coupling arrangements forconnecting the mop pad to a mop head.

Another aspect of the present invention provides a mop including a mophandle, a mop head, and a mop pad.

Another aspect of the present invention provides a method ofmanufacturing mop, the method comprising: providing an absorbent padhaving one or more layers including a first material; and attaching areinforcement material to cover substantially all of an operative partof the first material, wherein the reinforcement material includes aplurality of strands, such that the reinforcement material at leastpartially protects the first material from wear through contact with asurface to be cleaned and/or dried.

The absorbent pad or the first material is a quilted material and thereinforcement material is attached to the first material by stitchingthrough at least part of the first material and/or the absorbent pad.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Embodiments of the present invention as described, by way of exampleonly, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 shows a mop according to an embodiment;

FIG. 2 shows a mop head according to an embodiment, in a firstconfiguration;

FIG. 3 shows mop material according to an embodiment; and

FIG. 4 shows a mop head according to an embodiment, in a secondconfiguration.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

With reference to FIG. 1, an embodiment of the present inventionincludes a mop 1. The mop 1 has a mop handle 2 and a mop head 3. The mophandle 2 comprises an elongate rod configured to be held by a user.Towards a distal end 4 of the mop handle 2 is a connection arrangement5. The connection arrangement 5 is configured to be coupled to the mophead 3 so as to connect the mop head 3 to the mop handle 2.

The connection arrangement 5 may be configured to couple the mop head 3and mop handle 2 releasably such that the mop head 3 can be disconnectedfrom the mop handle 2. In embodiments, the releasable connectionarrangement 5 also allows for the connection of another tool to the mophandle 2.

The connection arrangement 5 is configured to engage, or be engaged by,a corresponding connection arrangement 6 of the mop head 3.

The connection arrangements 5, 6 may be configured to allow pivotablemovement between the mop handle 2 and the mop head 3.

The mop head 3 comprises a mop material support arrangement 7 (see FIG.2) which is configured to support, at least partially, mop material 8with respect to the mop head 3.

In embodiments, the mop material support arrangement 7 comprises abracket 10 a, 10 b which is configured to engage a portion of the mopmaterial 8. In embodiments, the mop material support arrangement 7comprises a hinged member (or wing) 9 a which is configured to movebetween a first configuration (see FIG. 2) and a second configuration(see FIG. 4). In the first configuration, the hinged member 9 a extendsgenerally perpendicular to a longitudinal axis of the mop handle 2 suchthat a plane of the hinged member 9 a can be held generally in parallelwith the surface to be cleaned and/or dried in normal use. Thus, thehinged member 9 a is configured to support at least part of the mopmaterial 8 with respect to the surface to be cleaned and/or dried suchthat at least part of the mop material 8 is between the hinged member 9a and the surface when the hinged member 9 a is in the firstconfiguration.

When the hinged member 9 a is in the second configuration, the mopmaterial 8 hangs freely from the mop head 2 such that the mop materialmay be wrung.

In embodiments, a pair of hinged members (or wings) 9 a, 9 b areprovided which extend from the connection arrangement 6 of the mop head3 in roughly opposite directions when in their respective firstconfigurations. In embodiments, the pair of hinged members (or wings) 9a, 9 b in their respective second configurations extend away from theconnection arrangement 6 of the mop head 3 in a direction which isgenerally parallel to the longitudinal axis of the mop handle 2 and awayfrom the mop handle 2.

In embodiments which include one or more hinged members 9, the mopmaterial 8 may be secured to the mop head 3 by one or more brackets 10a, 10 b. In embodiments, the or each hinged member 9 carries one or moreof the one or more brackets 10 a, 10 b. The or each bracket 10 a, 10 bmay be located such that mop material 8 extends from a first bracket 10a of a first hinged member 9 a of a pair of hinged members 9 a, 9 b,around a distal edge of the first hinged member 9 a, over a supportsurface of the first hinged member 9 a, over a support surface of asecond hinged member 9 b of the pair of hinged members 9 a, 9 b, arounda distal edge of the second hinged member 9 b, and to a second bracket10 b of the second hinged member 9 b—with the first and second hingedmembers 9 a, 9 b in the first configuration. In such an arrangement, themop material 8 is supported such that it may be held substantially flatagainst the surface to be cleaned and/or dried and moved with respectthereto whilst remaining held in the substantially flat configuration.The mop material may be held generally taut across the support surfacesof the hinged members 9 a, 9 b.

The mop material 8 may be secured to the or each bracket 10 a, 10 b by acoupling arrangement 13 which may include a hook and loop arrangement,and/or a loop of the mop material which is configured to pass around thebracket 10, and/or a pair of jaws of the bracket 10 which grasp a partof the mop material 8.

The present invention includes mop material 8 (see FIG. 3). The mopmaterial 8 may be formed into a mop pad which may include a plurality oflayers of different materials. In some embodiments, the mop material 8may include an absorbent pad having one or more layers. For example, thepad may comprise a substrate material 12 a to which a sheet of materialis secured; an absorbent material may be provided between the substrate12 a and the sheet of material. The absorbent material may be non-wovenfiller material. As will be understood, a two layered construction withan absorbent material between the two layers is a “quilted”construction. An example of a quilted construction is shown in FIG. 3 inwhich lines of stitching which may be used to secure the layers ofmaterial together are depicted. The lines of stitching are depicted in across-hatched configuration but it will be appreciated that otherarrangements are also possible. The stitching may be through all of thelayers of material or through only some of the layers of material—see,for example, FIG. 3 in which the stitching does not pass through thelayer of substrate material 12 a.

The mop material 8 has a first side 11 and a second side 12, whichoppose each other across a depth of the mop material 8. The first side11 is for cleaning and/or drying a surface and the mop material 8 isintended to be secured to a mop head 3 such that an operative part 13 ofthe first side 11 is towards the surface to be cleaned and/or driedrelative to the second side 12. The second side 12 is configured forplacement adjacent a support surface of a part of the mop head 2—such asthe support surface of a hinged member 9. Accordingly, the second side12 may include one or more regions on a surface thereof which have arelatively high coefficient of friction (compared to the coefficient offriction of a surface of the first side 11) so that movement between thesupport surface of a hinged member 9 (for example) and the mop materialsecond side 12 may be inhibited when the hinged member 9 is in the firstconfiguration.

The first side 11 of the mop material 8 includes a first material 11 a.This first material 11 a may be a material which is intended to be usedto clean and/or dry a surface.

In some embodiments, the first material 11 a is a layer of an absorbentpad which includes at least one further layer. The at least one furtherlayer may include an absorbent material such as the absorbent materialdescribed above.

One or more regions of the first material 11 a are covered by a materialwhich is relatively hardwearing compared to the first material 11 a. Theoperative part 13 of the first material 11 a (i.e., that part which ispresented, in use, to the surface to be cleaned and/or dried) issubstantially covered by the hardwearing material.

The one or more regions covered by hardwearing material are configuredsuch that, in use, they are located immediately adjacent the surface tobe cleaned and/or dried.

The hardwearing material comprises strands 14 (or strips) of materialwhich may be non-woven material or woven material or yarn. Thehardwearing material may comprise one or more bundles of strands 14. Thehardwearing material may be absorbent or may be substantiallynon-absorbent. For illustrative purposes a FIG. 3 includesrepresentations of strands 14; however, it will be appreciated thatthere are actually more strands 14 than indicated such thatsubstantially all of the operative region 13 is covered by the strands14.

In embodiments, the one or more regions cover substantially the whole ofa portion of the first material 11 a which is intended to clean and/ordry a surface during use—i.e., the operative part 13 of the mop material8. In embodiments, the one or more regions cover only a portion of thefirst material 11 a.

In embodiments, the hardwearing material forms an array of coveredregions of the first material 11 a. In embodiments, the hardwearingmaterial covers at least part of, or substantially all, of acircumference of a part of the first material 11 a which is intended toclean and/or dry a surface during use. In embodiments, the array ofcovered regions comprises an array of covered patches which aresubstantially surrounded by uncovered regions of the first material 11 aand not substantially all of the operative part 13 of the first material11 a is covered.

In embodiments, the hardwearing material forms a linear set of coveredregions of the first material 11 a, wherein each of the linear coveredregions of the set of linear covered regions is adjacent another andsubstantially no mop material 11 a is exposed between the linear coveredregions.

The strands 14 of hardwearing material are elongate with longitudinalaxes which extend in a direction which may be substantiallyperpendicular to the usual direction of travel of the mop material 8over the surface to be cleaned and/or dried in normal use. The mopmaterial 8 may have a length and a width—the length being greater thanthe width. The longitudinal axis of each strand 14 may extend across atleast part of a length of the mop material 8. Each strand 14 may extendacross substantially the entire length of the mop material 8. Eachstrand 14 may extend across substantially an entire operative part mopmaterial 8.

The hardwearing material may be stitched, needled, or adhered to thefirst material 11 a of the mop material 8. The hardwearing material maybe coupled to the first material 11 a removably—for example, using ahook and loop arrangement.

The coupling between the hardwearing material and the first material 11a may be such that one or more portions of the hardwearing material aremoveable with respect to the first material 11 a. In such embodiments,other portions 15 of the hardwearing material are substantially fixedwith respect to the first material 11 a. In other words, the hardwearingmaterial is tethered to the first material 11 a in one or more locations15. The portion of the hardwearing material between two tetheredlocations may be moveable with respect to the first material 11 a (andmay be moveable with respect to other parts of the hardwearingmaterial). This movement may be in a direction which is generallyperpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the hardwearing material.

In embodiments, the hardwearing material is secured (i.e., tethered) tothe first material 11 a by stitching 15 through at least a portion mopmaterial 8. The stitching may be through at least a part of a non-wovenmaterial of the mop material 8. In embodiments, the stitching 15comprises a line of stitching which extends across a width of the mopmaterial 8.

The hardwearing material may include strands of a polyester-viscosemixture. In embodiments, the hardwearing material is a material whichwill not cause substantial scratching to a surface over which it isintended to be passed during use. In embodiments, the hardwearingmaterial is such that there is a low coefficient of friction between thehardwearing material and the surface over which it is intended to bepassed during use—such that the material readily slides over thesurface.

The hardwearing material may be strands 14 which take the form ofelongate strands 14 which are secured towards both ends to the firstmaterial 11 a. The elongate strands may also be secured to the firstmaterial 11 a along a length thereof between the two ends of thestrands.

As will be appreciated, the hardwearing material is a reinforcementmaterial.

The mop material 8 may be formed into a mop pad and the mop pad may besecured to a mop head 3 of a mop 1. The mop 1 may be a flat-type mop—asdiscussed above.

Embodiments of the present invention include a method of mopping usingthe mop material 8 including affixing the mop material 8 to the mop head3 and placing a surface of the mop material 8 in contact with a surfaceto be cleaned and/or dried (e.g., a floor). The method may include thesteps of moving the mop material 8 with respect to the surface to becleaned and/or dried to effect the cleaning and/or drying thereof. Themethod may include the steps of wetting the mop material 8, and wringingthe mop material 8 prior to placing the mop material 8 in contact withthe surface. The method may further include rinsing the mop material 8and wringing the mop material 8 after the mop material 8 has been usedto clean a surface. The method may further include removing the mopmaterial 8 from the mop head 3 and washing the mop material 8. Themethod may further include brushing the mop material 8 or a partthereof—e.g., the hardwearing material.

When used in this specification and claims, the terms “comprises” and“comprising” and variations thereof mean that the specified features,steps or integers are included. The terms are not to be interpreted toexclude the presence of other features, steps or components.

The features disclosed in the foregoing description, or the followingclaims, or the accompanying drawings, expressed in their specific formsor in terms of a means for performing the disclosed function, or amethod or process for attaining the disclosed result, as appropriate,may, separately, or in any combination of such features, be utilized forrealizing the invention in diverse forms thereof.

1. Mop material comprising: an absorbent pad having one more layersincluding a first material, and a reinforcement material, whereinsubstantially all of an operative part of the first material is coveredby the reinforcement material and the reinforcement material includes aplurality of strands, such that the reinforcement material at leastpartially protects the first material from wear through contact with asurface to be cleaned and/or dried.
 2. Mop material according to claim1, wherein the plurality of strands is tethered to the first material ata plurality of locations which are spaced apart from each other.
 3. Mopmaterial according to claim 2, wherein respective portions of a firstand a second of the plurality of strands between two tethered locationsare configured to be moveable with respect to each other and withrespect to the first material.
 4. Mop material according to claim 1,wherein the plurality of strands is arranged to extend in a directionwhich is perpendicular to the usual direction of travel of the mopmaterial over a surface being cleaned and/or dried using the mopmaterial.
 5. Mop material according to claim 4, wherein the plurality ofstrands extends along a length of the first material.
 6. Mop materialaccording to claim 1, wherein the plurality of strands comprises one ormore bundles of strands.
 7. Mop material according to claim 1, whereinthe plurality of strands is stitched to the first material.
 8. Mopmaterial according to any claim 1, wherein the absorbent pad or thefirst material comprises a quilted material.
 9. Mop material accordingto claim 1, wherein the absorbent pad or the first material comprises anon-woven absorbent padding material.
 10. Mop material according toclaim 1, wherein the reinforcement material is substantiallynon-absorbent.
 11. Mop material according to claim 1, wherein thereinforcement material comprises strands of a polyester-viscose mixture.12. Mop material according to claim 1, wherein the reinforcementmaterial does not cover a side of the first material which opposes theoperative part of the first material.
 13. A mop pad formed from mopmaterial according to claim 1 and including one or more couplingarrangements for connecting the mop pad to a mop head.
 14. A mopincluding a mop handle, a mop head, and a mop pad according to claim 13.15. A method of manufacturing mop, the method comprising the steps of:providing an absorbent pad having one or more layers including a firstmaterial; and attaching a reinforcement material to cover substantiallyall of an operative part of the first material, wherein thereinforcement material includes a plurality of strands, such that thereinforcement material at least partially protects the first materialfrom wear through contact with a surface to be cleaned and/or dried. 16.A method according to claim 15, wherein the absorbent pad or the firstmaterial is a quilted material and the reinforcement material isattached to the first material by stitching through at least part of thefirst material and/or the absorbent pad.
 17. (canceled)
 18. (canceled)19. (canceled)
 20. (canceled)